The Brief: 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg paid for several billboards with comedic anti-Trump slogans, inspiring memes and parodies from across the political spectrum.

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Bloomberg Billboard memes stem from Mike Bloomberg’s recent billboard ad campaign featuring slogans that drag Donald Trump. The Bloomberg campaign’s efforts to make him appear relatable, in-the-know and meme-able have included a flood of sponsored memes and the use of internet slang but not the “Bloomberg dance” which was a hoax perpetuated by comedians. Last week, his campaign’s Twitter account posted pictures of several billboards that Bloomberg purchased with slogans including “Donald Trump eats burnt steak. Mike Bloomberg likes his medium rare,” “Donald Trump’s wall fell over,” and “Donald Trump cheats at golf. Mike Bloomberg doesn’t.” While these billboards appear to be an attempt to dunk on Trump while making Bloomberg seem clever and likable, the spread of Bloomberg billboard meme parodies indicates that these efforts have been met with some mockery and resistance.

Bloomberg Billboard Memes

Many anti-Bloomberg billboard memes photoshop the billboards to include slogans highlighting negative things about Bloomberg including his implementation of stop-and-frisk, the sexual harassment allegations against him, the fact that he is an out-of-touch billionaire, and his below-average height.

While the billboards seem to be a part of the Bloomberg campaign’s efforts to highlight the differences between Trump and Bloomberg, many reactions and parodies focus on their similarities including that they are both New York billionaires with histories of sexual harassment and alleged associations with Jeffrey Epstein. In addition, the portrayal of Bloomberg as a medium rare steak-loving golfer emphasizes his elite billionaire status rather than his relatability or connectedness with the average American.

Fact check: the claim that Bloomberg rode on Epstein’s plane is unverified.

On Bloomberg’s past comments about women: 

A Three Billboards crossover meme:

Bloomberg Billboard Memes